Canon Lente Autofoco 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM USA

  • Preço: $1,614.00
  • Desconto Instantâneo: -$110.00
  • Término da Oferta 3 MAR '12
  • Você Paga: $1,504.00
  • B&H # CA100400LIS
  • Fab# 2577A002

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Esta é a primeira lente EF com uma faixa de zoom de 100mm a 400mm. A lente IS USM f/4.5-5.6L com EF de 100-400mm oferece alta resolução, contraste excelente, balanço de cor neutro e função estabilizadora de imagem embutida e original da Canon. Um grande aumento de zoom é alcançado através de uma configuração de 6 grupos com 5 grupos móveis. A Fluorita e o vidro Super UD eliminam completamente o espectro secundário para uma renderização de cor excepcional. A focagem automática é rápida e silenciosa com o anel USM da Canon e a velocidade AF é ainda melhor, com um design de focagem traseiro leve e avançado que incorpora um elemento flutuante para uma qualidade de imagem consistente em qualquer distância focal, desde 5,9 pés (1,8m) até o infinito. Esta lente também vem equipada com um Estabilizador de Imagem de modo duplo, tanto para assuntos em "panning" quanto para assuntos parados. Com foco manual o tempo todo, zoom de um toque com punho largo e um anel especial que permite o ajuste de fricção de zoom, esta é uma lente extremamente fácil de se usar e ideal para uma grande variedade de aplicações, incluindo fotografia documentária, esportiva, de vida selvagem e de natureza.

Elemento de lente interno flutuante e focagem de grupo traseiro
Fluoreto de cálcio e elementos de lente com dispersão ultrabaixa
Colar de tripé
Performance
Focal Length 100 - 400 mm
Aperture Maximum: f/4.5 - 5.6
Minimum: f/32 - 40
Camera Mount Type Canon EF
Format Compatibility 35mm Film / Full-Frame Digital Sensor
Canon (APS-C)
Angle of View 24° - 6°
Minimum Focus Distance 5.9' (1.80 m)
Magnification 0.2x
Maximum Reproduction Ratio 1:5
Groups/Elements 14/17
Diaphragm Blades 5
Features
Image Stabilization Yes
Autofocus Yes
Tripod Collar Yes
Physical
Filter Thread 77 mm
Dimensions (DxL) Approx. 3.6 x 7.4" (9.14 x 18.80 cm)
Weight 3.04 lb (1.38 kg)

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews
Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens
 
4.7

(based on 749 reviews)

Ratings Distribution

  • 5 Stars

     

    (563)

  • 4 Stars

     

    (166)

  • 3 Stars

     

    (16)

  • 2 Stars

     

    (3)

  • 1 Stars

     

    (1)

98%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

  • Fast / accurate auto-focus (658)
  • Strong construction (544)
  • Durable (419)
  • Consistent output (414)
  • Rugged (344)

Cons

  • Heavy (401)
  • Poor in low light (65)
  • Lens creep (51)
  • Slow focus (29)
  • Blurry focus (7)

Best Uses

  • Sports/action (457)
  • Wildlife photos (383)
  • Wildlife (240)
  • Landscape/scenery (199)
  • General purpose (78)
    • Reviewer Profile:
    • Photo enthusiast (252), Enthusiast (160), Semi-pro photographer (112), Semi-professional (74), Casual photographer (38)
    • Was this a gift?:
    • No (270), Yes (24)

Most Liked Positive Review

 

Really Great Lens for Wildlife

This remarkable Canon lens has been around for more than ten years but it has by no means been superceded by newer models in many respects.

A few claim the autofocus is n...Read complete review

This remarkable Canon lens has been around for more than ten years but it has by no means been superceded by newer models in many respects.

A few claim the autofocus is not always accurate or the maximum aperture is "only" f/5.6, or the "pump action" zoom is outmoded, but I would point out the following;

The autofocus is fine although it is worth remembering that at the closest focus distance (less than 2 metres) with the lens at 400mm, the depth of field at f/5.6 is barely one centimetre. That is true for any similar lens - if there was one. If in the fraction of a second after focusing one rocks forwards or backwards even a tiny amount then it will need refocusing –not a fault of the lens, it just needs practice.
Even at f/16 the depth of field is only about 3cms so for close wildlife pictures (birds etc) there seems little point in having a lens faster than f/5.6. Claims that small apertures require undesirably slow shutter speeds do not apply once one realises how fast the ISO rating can be raised and still get very good pictures. (On a full frame camera ISO6400 is still excellent). Additionally the IS will allow quite slow speeds anyway if the creature is more or less stationary.

For hand held shots (using IS) this pump action zoom turns out to be ideal as the majority of the not inconsiderable lens weight is supported by the left hand which does not want to have to keep letting go and regripping to operate a more conventional twist zoom. So often when on the move with wildlife there is not time to set up a tripod, even if you have brought one, where a twist zoom might be considered more conventional.

Additionally the closest focus distance even at 400mm is just under 2 metres. Most fixed focus lenses of 400mm or even 300mm have longer closest focus distances, some much longer and many much more expensive.

I find that the lens produces very high definition pictures. Maybe with a wheelbarrow load of very expensive long prime lens one might achieve very slight improvement at full aperture but as I have said this is of little use in most wildlife pictures where a bit more depth of field is needed.

These things all help to make this 100-400mm zoom lens highly desirable.

VS

Most Liked Negative Review

 

Disappointed For the Price

As a professional, I usually shoot landscapes but I have recently started to get more into wildlife. After much research, I pulled the trigger and bought this.

Right out of t...Read complete review

As a professional, I usually shoot landscapes but I have recently started to get more into wildlife. After much research, I pulled the trigger and bought this.

Right out of the box the lens feels well built and heavy. I was surprised at the size of the lens. It is smaller then the 70-200mm f/2.8 when zoomed out and only looks truely impressive in size with the lens cap on. It it not weathered sealed so using it in damp or dusty environments is out (which was not a problem for me).

The f/5.6 at the 400 end is not fast but is not overly slow either. A monopod or tripod is required to get shots in shadow or overcast situations. Unless using a flash, even wide open with IS on, don't think about using this indoors. Images looked sharp at 25% but at 100% lens blur could be seen even with IS on. Pixel peepers will be even more disappointed - but again this is not an indoor lens at f/4-f/5.6. If you do use this indoors without a flash, you will need a tripod and a stationary subject.

Overall the optical quality was not impressive. My copy didn't suffer from bad chromatic aberration or purple fringing but there was some vignetting zoomed in. Since it is a telephoto, I didn't see any barrel distortion.

The resolution and sharpness, however, left much to be desired. While shooting in bright noon sunlight photos taken at all focal lengths were not tack sharp. (I realize that every person has their own perspective of what tack sharp is and some will say what I call soft to be tack sharp. So let me help: I define tack sharp as the ability to see the black parts of a dragon fly's wings or individual pieces (quills) of a bird's feathers with little to no blur on them - this lens certainty does not produce sharpness to that level especially at 400mm)

It seemed that 200mm was the sharpest falling off slightly to 300mm. At 300mm or more the lens got softer and was softest at 400mm. The softness of the lens was the biggest disappointment. It was much softer then my cheaper 300mm non-canon non-IS lens. Even stopped down to f/8 (which seemed to be the sweet spot for my copy) the images were still much too blurry for professional printing or sale.

While shooting some sharpness tests to determine the quality of my copy, I noticed that even when setup under bright light on a tripod and using the same settings, the lens seemed to have an 80% fail rate for usable sharp images. Only two out of ten images I shot were acceptably sharp and all the others suffered from softness - often badly. This was an unacceptable failure rate for me.

The IS is noisy and jittery which is to be expected since this lens uses Canon's first generation Image Stabilization system developed back in the 1980's. I found that on my copy I was only able to get mildly acceptable results at one f-stop lower... not the 2 or 3 they advertise. I found the IS function useless unless I was to hand hold the lens at 100mm in bright noon nunlight. Besides no one should be handholding a 400mm lens if they want sharp images anyway.

The lens performed much better with IS off and on a monopod thus I found the IS function to be a waste and not worth the extra money for the feature.

On positive notes the focus was fast and the lens was comfortable on a monopod. Tracking BIF (birds in flight) was easy and I did get some amazing shots (although they were still too soft for the price of the lens). The lens hood was nice as well but it would have looked better white.

I did notice that like all white L glass, there is an issue with scaring wildlife and I did on several occasion, not being able to get as close as I could with my black lenses. (They do sell lens covers for this but they still will not hide 60% of the white parts when zoomed in since this is a push / pull design.)

All in all I found the build quality to be good but the optical resolution (sharpness) to be much to soft for my needs. I also didn't need the 100-200 range and didn't find the Image Stabilization to be useful since a tripod or monopod will result in sharper, more professional images. I ended up returning this lens based on the softness issues.

I have decided to either go for the 400mm f/5.6L prime or save up for the 500mm prime. The 400mm is actually cheaper then this lens by a couple hundred bucks and it is the same wide open aperture. The 400mm prime does not have IS but again I didn't find it helpful. Additionally as a prime, the 400 should be sharper then the 100-400 and research I have done on the lens suggest that it in fact is.

I would have kept this lens if it had been $500 less but this lens had too many negatives to justify the price.

I am checking that "I am not recommending this to a friend" but here is a side not to that:

If you are just using this lens for a hobby and will not be selling your photos and need the extra 100-200mm range then this lens might make sense to you. But if you are a professional looking to get extra reach and also demand sharpness, save up and go with the 500mm or 400mm f/2.8 or save some money and get the 400mm f/5.6 prime.

Reviewed by 749 customers

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5.0

Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6

By Jeff

from Goldsboro, NC

About Me Semi-pro Photographer

Verified Buyer

Pros

  • Fast / accurate auto-focus
  • Rugged
  • Strong Construction

Cons

  • Heavy

Best Uses

  • Sports/Action
  • Wildlife Photos

Comments about Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens:

This is a great lens. It is designed mostly for outside use but I have played with it indoors at a shutter speed of 1/30th of a second and still had sharp photos. I needed a lens that gave me moore reach and this does it. Can't wait to get out and use it more.

  • Was this a gift?:
  • No

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5.0

Outstanding product

By Carlos the photographer

from Mauá, São Paulo, Brazil

About Me Casual Photographer

Verified Buyer

Pros

  • Easily Interchangeable
  • Fast / accurate auto-focus
  • Strong Construction

Cons

  • Heavy
  • Poor in Low Light

Best Uses

  • Landscape/Scenery
  • Wildlife Photos

Comments about Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens:

I use this lens for nature picture. The quality of it and how fast it is make the difference. A little bit heavy but useful for my propose.

  • Was this a gift?:
  • No

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5.0

Top quality product

By Rich in pit

from Carlsbad, Ca

About Me Semi-pro Photographer

Verified Buyer

Pros

  • Consistent Output
  • Durable
  • Easily Interchangeable
  • Fast / accurate auto-focus
  • Lightweight
  • Nice Bokeh
  • Rugged
  • Strong Construction

Cons

    Best Uses

    • Landscape/Scenery
    • Sports/Action

    Comments about Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens:

    Canon always makes the most excellent lenses, never have anything bad to say about it.

    • Was this a gift?:
    • No

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    5.0

    Exceptional images but heavy lens

    By Lonesome Pete

    from Akron, OH

    About Me Photo Enthusiast

    Verified Buyer

    Pros

    • Consistent Output
    • Durable
    • Easily Interchangeable
    • Fast / accurate auto-focus
    • Rugged
    • Strong Construction

    Cons

    • Heavy

    Best Uses

    • Landscape/Scenery
    • Wildlife Photos

    Comments about Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens:

    If you are a birder and able to walk over somewhat rough terrain with a heavy camera and lens, then you will get exceptional images with this lens.

    • Was this a gift?:
    • No

    Share this review

     
    4.0

    Perfect lens for my needs

    By Outdoor girl

    from Fresno, Ca

    About Me Casual Photographer

    Verified Buyer

    Pros

    • Strong Construction

    Cons

    • Heavy

    Best Uses

    • Sports/Action
    • Wildlife Photos

    Comments about Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens:

    I use this lens for wildlife photos and birds as well as sports activities. It has proven to be exactly what I expected. It is a bit heavy but I knew that when I bought it. The IS allows for hand held shots, but I do use a tripod most of the time because of the size of the lens. Since I just got this lens, I have not used it enough to give a more detailed review. So far I am happy with it.

    • Was this a gift?:
    • No

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    5.0

    Excellent lens

    By RetiredGuy

    from Arizona

    About Me Photo Enthusiast

    Verified Buyer

    Pros

    • Consistent Output
    • Rugged
    • Strong Construction

    Cons

      Best Uses

      • Sports/Action
      • Wildlife Photos

      Comments about Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens:

      This lens is sharp, the autofocus is fast and the construction is all that I expected from an L lens. Although some complain about it I like the push/pull zoom for following moving subjects. I shoot mainly wildlife with this lens and find it easy to use both handheld and on a tripod.

      • Was this a gift?:
      • No

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      5.0

      Great lens

      By John

      from Alexandria, VA

      About Me Photo Enthusiast

      See all my reviews

      Verified Buyer

      Pros

      • Rugged
      • Strong Construction

      Cons

        Best Uses

        • Landscape/Scenery
        • Sports/Action
        • Wildlife Photos

        Comments about Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens:

        I bought this lens because I wanted a portable 400mm. And I wanted the versatility of a zoom, and IS, which makes it pretty much the only option as of this review (January 2012). When I first picked up the 100-400, I was surprised at how light it felt. It looks like it should be heavier. I tested it indoors against a map, using a heavy tripod and ballhead, remote release, and mirror lock. It is quite sharp and contrasty with good color, even at 400mm f/5.6. It compares favorably with the 70-200 f/2.8. Autofocus is quite accurate when the subject contrast is good enough.

        I have gotten used to twist zooms and so I thought the push-pull would bother me, but it does not bother me at all.

        I was a little surprised to learn that the zoom lock ring is incorporated into the focusing ring and requires two hands to use.

        In field use, I found it is quite sensitive to wind. Extended to 400mm, with the hood attached, it is quite a bit longer than most lenses, while the tripod mount sits very close to the camera. This is something I never noticed with my 70-200 or 300mm. It will require careful technique in use.

        • Was this a gift?:
        • No

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        5.0

        Simply Brilliant

        By MrFIlm

        from Australia

        About Me Pro Photographer

        Verified Buyer

        Pros

        • Consistent Output
        • Fast / accurate auto-focus
        • Strong Construction

        Cons

        • Heavy

        Best Uses

        • Landscape/Scenery
        • Sports/Action
        • Video
        • Weddings/Events
        • Wildlife Photos

        Comments about Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens:

        Fast zoom, accurate crystal clear images. Great auto focus and stabalizer

        • Was this a gift?:
        • No

        Share this review

         
        5.0

        Best Telephoto Zoom Lens!

        By Jack

        from Los Angeles

        About Me Photo Enthusiast

        Verified Buyer

        Pros

        • Consistent Output
        • Durable
        • Easily Interchangeable
        • Lightweight
        • Nice Bokeh
        • Rugged
        • Strong Construction

        Cons

        • Lens Creep
        • Slow Focus

        Best Uses

        • Air shows
        • Aviation
        • Sports/Action
        • Wildlife Photos

        Comments about Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens:

        How I use the lens:
        -aviation photography mostly, plane spotting and airshows
        -some portraiture (only lower focal lengths)

        Pros:
        -amazingly clear! I had a Sigma 150-500mm, Sigma Bigma, before and the images were always a little blurry (even sent it in to Sigma but they found nothing wrong)
        -when I get the 100-400L I immediately noticed the difference in image quality and the pictures from the 100-400L were stunning
        -for a telephoto zoom lens at this focal length range there really is no better lens
        -L lens superior quality is definitely noticeable especially when compared to other lenses
        for its focal length has a pretty good or lowish aperture, f4.5 is pretty low considering price
        -worth the money! I have had both Canon, non L lenses, and other third party telephoto zoom lenses and the pictures do not compare to the pictures I get with the 100-400L

        Cons:
        -lens creep
        -sometimes has trouble focusing on correct subject, minor issue
        -sometimes slow focus, minor issue
        -tightening ring is attached to focusing ring and you can inadvertently change focus by tightening or loosening
        -basically nothing though, this lens is GREAT!

        Other:
        -some people complain about the push/pull zoom configuration but you get use to it very quickly

        • Was this a gift?:
        • No

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        5.0

        Well worth the money

        By Deb

        from Montana

        About Me Casual Photographer

        Verified Buyer

        Pros

        • Consistent Output
        • Rugged
        • Strong Construction

        Cons

          Best Uses

          • Wildlife Photos

          Comments about Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens:

          Love it for our Sunday rides,birds,wildlife etc.

          • Was this a gift?:
          • Yes

          Share this review

          (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

           
          5.0

          WOW Don't Wait Just Buy It

          By Vicki Harbour

          from Shreveport, Louisiana

          About Me Semi-pro Photographer

          See all my reviews

          Verified Buyer

          Pros

          • Consistent Output
          • Durable
          • Easily Interchangeable
          • Fast / accurate auto-focus
          • Nice Bokeh
          • Rugged
          • Strong Construction

          Cons

          • Didn't buy it sooner

          Best Uses

          • Landscape/Scenery
          • Sports/Action
          • Video
          • Wildlife Photos

          Comments about Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens:

          For more than a year I have fretted over this prized L lense. Questions formed in my mind for reasons Not to spend the money but guess what folks. If you are serious about your photography and are already getting Great shots from your 200 or 300 mm lenses but want that Extra Oh MY GOSH……Then you will want to buy this lense. I live in a cove on a lake that is a natural habitat for thousands of birds. My photographs are great and even stunning but with this lense they are extraordinary and spectacular. Life is not a Dress Rehearsal and I am ashamed that I waited so long. If you want the eye candy shots without Photoshop, if you need more razzle in your dazzle and trust me you do. Then you will thank me a thousand times over when you get this lense. So what do I like about this lense? Everything I love the way the focus is so quick and smooth.
          I love the push pull range of 100-400 mm and I love the fact that I have it. Right now there are over 400 American White Pelicans in my cove among other bird species. I don't have to wish for more range or miss shots any more. Life is just too short and your eye on your photography deserves your best shot. So get the shot and get this amazing L lense. I did and Oh My Gosh I am so glad I did.

          • Was this a gift?:
          • No

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          4.0

          super sharp

          By nature lover

          from Newaygo, MI

          About Me Photo Enthusiast

          Verified Buyer

          Pros

          • Consistent Output
          • Durable
          • Easily Interchangeable
          • Fast / accurate auto-focus
          • Rugged
          • Strong Construction
          • Very Sharp

          Cons

            Best Uses

            • Landscape/Scenery
            • Wildlife Photos

            Comments about Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens:

            great telephoto range for those long shots

            • Was this a gift?:
            • No

            Share this review

             
            4.0

            Good Zoom for the money

            By Kathi

            from East Petersburg, Pa

            About Me Photo Enthusiast

            Verified Buyer

            Pros

            • Easily Interchangeable
            • Strong Construction
            • Tripod ring included

            Cons

            • Heavy

            Best Uses

            • Landscape/Scenery
            • Wildlife Photos

            Comments about Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens:

            I wanted a good long range zoom that didn't cost a lot. This fits my needs. I do a lot of travel photography and would like to get closer shots. I have tested this lens and have gotten some great shots of the moon, handheld.

            • Was this a gift?:
            • No

            Share this review

             
            4.0

            Not exceptional, but does the work

            By Jose Luis

            from Monterrey, Mexico

            About Me Semi-pro Photographer

            Verified Buyer

            Pros

            • Durable
            • Fast / accurate auto-focus
            • Strong Construction

            Cons

            • Heavy
            • Poor in Low Light

            Best Uses

            • Sports/Action
            • Wildlife Photos

            Comments about Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens:

            The image quality is exactly what you can expect from an L series Canon lens. It´s fast and sharp, but has issues in lowlight. If you are shooting sports in a bright day you will be amazed with this lens. but if you shoot at night in a stadium you will probably be dissapointed. I wanted to buy the 2.8 L series lens from Canon but the difference in price was too much.

            If you don't want to spend several grands on a telephoto lens, this is your choice.

            • Was this a gift?:
            • No

            Share this review

             
            4.0

            Value for Money- Good for Widlife

            By Vidyesh Paknikar

            from Stamford, CT

            About Me Photo Enthusiast

            Verified Buyer

            Pros

            • Durable
            • Easily Interchangeable
            • Fast / accurate auto-focus
            • Rugged
            • Strong Construction

            Cons

              Best Uses

              • Night Photography
              • Wildlife Photos

              Comments about Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens:

              I am amateur wild-life photographer.. This lens is good for Wildlife and Long Distance Night Photography. On half frame Canon DSLR 400 mm works as 640 mm.. which makes it easy to capture birds keeping enough distance. Sharpness is quite good and focusing I found quick even on my 500D/T1i. I tried IS ON and OFF in same light conditions and it works quite good, although handheld shots look difficult considering weight of the lens and you should plan to purchase at least Monopod for effectively using this lens..

              I started with Sigma 170-500 6-7 years back and wanted something better, sharper and quick. I found this lens good value for money. Kind of middle way between Sigma's and Tamron's and Fast Canon lenses like 400m F4's etc..

              Only issue I thought was - It has Metal body so it gets very cold if you are carrying it say in your cars boot space..which is not heated..and then if you take it out and use.. due to warmth it accumulates moisture..so need to be stored always with silica pouches ..just as a precaution..

              • Was this a gift?:
              • No

              Share this review

               
              5.0

              Great lens

              By JGM

              from Olive Branch, MS

              About Me Photo Enthusiast

              Verified Buyer

              Pros

              • Consistent Output
              • Durable
              • Easily Interchangeable
              • Fast / accurate auto-focus
              • Rugged
              • Strong Construction

              Cons

              • Heavy

              Best Uses

              • Wildlife Photos

              Comments about Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens:

              Use this lens for wildlife photograph and very happy with it.

              • Was this a gift?:
              • No

              Share this review

              (3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

               
              5.0

              This one's a keeper!

              By cspada

              from Lake Forest, CA

              About Me Pro Photographer

              Verified Buyer

              Pros

              • Consistent Output
              • Durable
              • Easily Interchangeable
              • Fast / accurate auto-focus
              • Strong Construction
              • Superb optical quality

              Cons

              • Not weatherized

              Best Uses

              • Landscape/Scenery
              • Sports/Action
              • Wildlife Photos

              Comments about Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens:

              Before posting this review I waited until I had the opportunity to really get to know this lens with my camera bodies (all full-frame: 1Ds series and the 5d MkII), and after a month of cranking out hundreds of images collected in controlled test and fieldwork situations I can confidently state that Canon's 100 - 400mm f/4 - f/5.6L is a keeper. Highly deserving of its "L" branding, the lens is solidly built (though not "weatherized"), sports superb optics for a zoom of such focal length range (outstanding contrast and very good sharpness), exhibits relatively rapid and accurate focus response under most shooting circumstances (a bit slower when shooting scenes with significantly decreased contrast), easy to operate, and surprisingly friendly in the hand despite its bulk and weight. A nice padded lens case is also included that works well in a pinch for field use if there's no room left in your camera bag or knapsack. The lens isn't weatherproofed like most other L glass, so I would recommend getting a lens jacket to protect it in dusty and wet environments.

              I've read some reviews lamenting the fact that this lens doesn't open out to f/2.8. That would be nice, but I don't even want to contemplate the resulting cost and bulk for that luxury… Some users might at first find the lens somewhat cumbersome: with the lens hood attached and the lens racked out all the way to 400mm, the rig does begin to resemble a small field artillery piece (seriously, though, it's not any longer than the Canon 300mm f/4L with lens hood attached, and shorter than the Canon 400mm f/5.6L with lens hood attached). The push-pull zoom functions smoothly without any sloppy free play and lens barrel creep can be eliminated by completely locking down the adjustable tensioning ring. I found adapting to the shifts in center of gravity during zooming hand-held shots to be quick and painless. The two focusing range selection switches effectively do a good job to optimize AF focus hunt efficiency, and in my experience the IS feature nets an additional 1 to 1-1/2 stops when shooting in more fluid mobile situations (i.e., hand-held, monopod, shoulder pod). The front element doesn't rotate during focusing, so there aren't any plot complications when using graduated or polarizing filters.

              A few reviewers have dumped on the resolving power of this lens relative to fixed focal length prime lenses, especially at higher focal lengths, but that's like comparing apples and eggs. A zoom has more glass interfaces to scatter the light, so you don't need to refer to an MTF chart to prove that a good prime lens will always best a zoom lens with respect to image sharpness. However, I strongly disagree with contentions that this lens can't deliver superior image quality suitable for publication or large format printing. I've obtained crisp, highly detailed shots of birds taken with the lens racked out into the 300 - 400mm range that compare quite favorably to images obtained with the Canon 400mm f/5.6L. I'm not saying that this zoom will yield equivalent quality to its corresponding "L" series fixed focal length telephoto brothers, but with careful shooting technique, getting high quality images at any focal length setting with this lens isn't a problem — and with judicious high pass sharpening in post-capture processing, even the most demanding editors won't complain about the results. Would I publish images obtained with Canon's 100 - 400mm zoom? In a heartbeat. I also haven't experienced any significant color fringing issues with my lens copy, even when shooting high contrast scenes.

              Bottom line: If you want a reasonably priced long telephoto lens that delivers outstanding image quality, the Canon 300mm f/4L or 400mm f/5.6L would be the way to go, but if you need a more versatile lens that reaches out to 400mm, the Canon 100 - 400mm f/4 - f/5.6 won't disappoint.

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              4.0

              Excellent pair to 25-105mm canon lens.

              By Luke

              from Alberta, Canada

              About Me Photo Enthusiast

              Verified Buyer

              Pros

              • Durable
              • Easily Interchangeable
              • Fast / accurate auto-focus

              Cons

              • Heavy
              • Lens Creep

              Best Uses

              • Landscape/Scenery
              • Sports/Action
              • Wildlife Photos

              Comments about Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens:

              -I mainly use this for wildlife
              -It has a fast auto focus enabling the capture of moving animals at a distance and the 400mm is an excellent zoom
              -Excellent resolution up to 350mm, there is a very slight degradation of image quality 350-400mm, only noticable under a zoomed review on the computer

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              5.0

              Great birding lens

              By Dave S

              from Chicago, IL

              About Me Photo Enthusiast

              Verified Buyer

              Pros

              • Fast / accurate auto-focus
              • Rugged
              • Strong Construction

              Cons

              • Heavy

              Best Uses

                Comments about Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens:

                I chose the Canon 100-400 to tote around while birding (photography being secondary to why I'm out in the field) and while it's a phenomenally useful lens, especially for birds in flight, it is inconveniently heavy and a tad awkward when zoomed-out to 400.

                Some have noted that they were unimpressed with the sharpness of this lens, but I disagree. Images display very fine detail and little if any chromatic aberration or distortion.

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                • No

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                (0 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

                 
                5.0

                Sweet Lens

                By Blue Bunch

                from Driggs idaho

                Verified Buyer

                Comments about Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens:

                Great Lens....

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